Category Archives: Toronto Cartoonists Workshop

…from me! My next set of courses for the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop start up in just a couple of weeks.

My Comic Book Bootcamp Part One ended last Wednesday. I like to say that once students go through the first Bootcamp they’re good to go off and make comics, and some of them will. But we do offer a Part Two through TCW and many of my students return–I do introduce new ideas, expand upon the anatomy I teach in Part 1, and more. It’s really up to individual students to decide what they need. But often students find that they like the atmosphere so much at TCW, and realise how much fun it is to be in an environment surrounded by people just like them–people who are creative and interesting and want to learn and create. I love watching as friendships are made, and finding that students get together outside of class and start working on projects together, or simply meet to help each other out with a script, or to act as a sounding board. That makes my day every time!

Then, next Monday I will start the full class–the ‘official’ course description is:

From thumbnail layouts to finished pencils, this art focused course teaches you everything you need to know about the unique process of telling stories with pictures. Learn to THINK like a comic artist as well as how to CREATE like one. Essential learning for future Marvel zombies, Indy artists or Web comic creators. While basic drawing skills are helpful, they are not necessary.

Ty promised himself that he was going to be posting more on the blog this year and was getting frustrated that he hasn’t had the time–until I pointed out that it’s that he has so much work to do, all of which he’s excited to be doing. But I did promise that I’d pop in to mention a few things, so here ya go…

The official start to Ty Templeton’s 2012 Convention Season is next-next weekend. Usually, Ty only does the Toronto shows but after doing the wildly-successful wildly-enjoyable Montreal Comiccon last year, he’s agreed to do more for 2012. There might be a few additions to the list later in the year but for now, this is it:

Formerly known as Fan Appreciation and now Toronto ComiCon as presented by Fan Expo. And expanded to two days– Saturday March 10-Sunday March 11.

Been waiting for Calgary Expo to announce this–now, we can confirm that Ty will be attending, for the first time, the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. The show runs Friday April 27-Sunday April 29, and features an amazing list of guests.

In June, Ty will be off to Austin, Texas…but that hasn’t been “officially” announced yet, so I’ll wait to put up all the info.

In August, it will be The Big One–the biggest comic convention in Canada, that is. Fan Expo Canada runs Thursday August 23-Sunday August 26 this year. It was wildly busy last year–slightly overwhelming by the last day, butgreat to spend time with so many other creators and to talk to so many fans.

Montreal Comiccon is the little comic book convention that didn’t so much grow as EXPLODE!! It was such an enormous, unexpected success that they’ve moved to a bigger location this year, Friday September 14-Sunday September 16. Ty and I really really enjoyed the show last year…had a very brief twenty minutes when we thought it was going to be quiet, when we first arrived at Ty’s table. That was the last twenty minutes of peace for the entire weekend! Got to meet Dan Parent, have dinner with Dan, Gibson Quarter and the Heroes of the North crew.

When Ty created Comic Book Bootcamp, it was such a popular class that the first group of students begged him to continue–and he created Part Two. After a student finishes Part One and Two, as Ty tells them, they’re able to take all the skills he’s taught them, go off and create on their own.

Holmes Incorporated by Christopher Yao

Ty is helped in this belief by a lot of evidence…over the years, many local Toronto creators have taken his Bootcamps. They came in with varying abilities and backgrounds but with an enthusiasm for learning, and a drive to practice practice practice until their skills got to where they could look for professional work, or start creating on their own.

Eden Bachelder was one of Ty’s first students. She’s an artist who works in oil and acrylic paints, leather and many other mediums. After taking Ty’s Bootcamps she participated in Bootcamp Comics (writing and pencilling The Three Kinds of Sex), and Holmes Incorporated #1, (pencilling Nightclubbing with writer Kathleen Gallagher).

Holmes Inc. #1 Nightclubbing pg 7, by Eden Bachelder

Eden does other freelance work (she illustrated a government colouring book I lettered for her!). Here’s a sample of Eden’s cartooning work (this one is called Citizen Chauvelin Adjusts Himself“).

Adam’s first work was The Vampire Conspiracy and he is currently working on Teuton, an ongoing comic series he co-created with Fred Kennedy.

Teuton, Vol. 2 Trolls attack, art by Adam Gorham

Daniel Wong took Ty’s Bootcamp a couple years ago and signed up for Fit to Print’s Holmes Incorporated when he was finished. His story, The Family Name was chosen as the first story for the issue. Pages like this were the reason why:

Holmes Inc. #2, The Family Name by Daniel Wong, script by James Cooper

Daniel is busy working as a freelance illustrator, recently finishing a commissioned story written by his Holmes Inc. collaborator, James Cooper (who is continuing to write comics, write and direct short films and writes Bagged and Bored for Tdot Comics). That work isn’t published yet–but I’m sneaking in a page here.

Old Haunts pg 4, art by Daniel Wong, script by James Cooper

One of the hardest working students to ever grace a Bootcamp has to be the one, the only Gibson Quarter! When other students were asking how to find their first work, Gibson was busy networking and finding his own here and abroad. He’s worked with Alan Grant for his Wasted Magazine, pencilling Grant’s War on Drugs. (Grant started Wasted Magazine through his company Bad Press; sadly, it’s now defunct).

Gibson was one of the first students to take a Bootcamp course, and one of the very few who got to take all three versions. Having finished Parts 1 and 2, he was able to join in on the fun with Holmes Incorporated. He pencilled Flight Plan (for writer Robert Pincombe) for Issue 1, and Polarized for Issue 2 (written by Sam Ruano).

You’ll notice that all those mentioned have participated in one or both issues of Fit to Print’s: Holmes Incorporated. The next Fit to Print will be starting up soon (looking at end of April/beginning of May?); in order to participate students have to completed at least Comic Book Bootcamp Part One.

Holmes Inc. art by Gibson Quarter, colours by Keiren Smith

This is just a quick list of some of the creators who’ve taken Ty’s classes–just think, next time I write this list up…YOU could be on it.

Figure Drawing for the Comic Book Artist is a brand new class which starts tomorrow, Wednesday January 25, at TCW. The school has had Studio Life Drawing classes with Geordie Miller, and recently ran some Open Session Drop-In Life Drawing Classes. But Figure Drawing is being taught by a comic book artist with a focus on learning what other comic book artists need to know. Before this, Ty has taught Drawing the Human Figure from Memory–this obviously helps put those lessons to use! With a model in front of the class, students now have the ability to clearly see what Ty is teaching and the muscles and bones he’s trying to get them to pay attention to and learn.

As he was packing up for his Inking class tonight, I asked Ty to quickly tell me why he thought this was a good and worthwhile class. He said, “Most comic book artists learn anatomy, learn the human figure by imitating other comic book artists. While not a bad thing, it does mean that you end up making figures that look like Neal Adams drew them, or Ty Templeton or whomever you imitate. (Sometimes, depending on the artist, that means you learn to draw their mistakes!) What you need to learn is to draw from life, to draw the human figure as you see it in front of you. It helps you to know the figure, to be able to draw it out of your head, and to have your own style, your own way of drawing.”

(photo by Geordie Millar)

A couple weeks ago, Ty ran a Sneak Peek workshop for Figure Drawing for the Comic Book Artist. Every one who attended came out raving about it.

Artist/animator Karly MacDonald was nice enough to send me scans of some of her drawings from the night. Ty was particularly impressed with the model, Rubie Laframboise, as she actually is eight heads high–although that’s always touted as the standard to follow in figure drawing, it’s unusual to see someone who actually fits that perfectly.

A couple of weeks ago, I put together a sketchbook for an open house/gallery show at theToronto Cartoonists Workshop. (click on Sketchbook by Ty above!) We printed up a bunch of ’em, and had a dozen or so left over after the event, so we offered up em through our little website here.

Each sketchbook has a first page left intentionally blank, so that I had a space to scribble a doodle and signature and a message for the person getting it at the open house. I can’t remember what I sketched in those books, as my brain forgets the image as soon as it’s drawn.

But when I did little front-page doodles for the fine folks who ordered copies through the website, there was a scanner handy. So I’m posting a bunch of them today. While you guys are looking at them, I’m busy finishing up a script for Heroes of the North, and designing a giant killer robot for a project I’m doing with a fairly famous pal of mine at a fairly major comic company. (What a tease I am!) I’ll keep you posted.

This last sketch below comes with a small story. On Tuesday I got into a conversation with someone about what is the “right” tool to ink with, and responded with the advice Joe Kubert once said: “grab anything and use it. If you need a specific brush or pen, you’re not making the line, the tool is.”

Within reason, obviously. Kurbert didn't mean for anyone to ink with one of these.

Well, just for the straight up hell of it, I tried inking a sketch with the giant fat marker pictured above. A really beat up, half dry one, too. In fact, I searched for the skankiest marker in my studio. This is what I got.

I wasn’t particularly trying to ape Kubert’s style when I did this, and pulled the Tarzan portrait out of my head, but there’s an eerie hint of Kubert-isms in the final sketch. I think that’s the secret of Joe’s style. Ink with the most awful piece of shit tool in your studio, and the constant awareness that you’ll never get a line you’ll like, that you stop looking at each stroke and focus on the whole drawing.

I’m going through the garbage and rescuing all my horrible dead brushes and gnarly markers. That was fun! Next sketch I do gets inked with a spray can. I’ll show Kubert there’s tools you can’t use!

I think we have one or two sketchbooks left. You’d have to check with my wife by going HERE.

It’s January, and we’re counting down the days until Ty starts teaching his next set of classes at Toronto Cartoonists Workshop.

Before he does though, the one and only Leonard Kirk is teaching a SNEAK PEEK WORKSHOP on DYNAMIC PAGE COMPOSITION. That class will be THIS Saturday, January 7, 1-4pm. Click through to book a spot; it’s $25/+HST.

Next Wednesday, January 11, it’s Ty’s turn for a SNEAK PEEK WORKSHOP, FIGURE DRAWING FOR THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST. This will be a three-hour look at what is a brand spankin’ new class. There will be a live model and instruction from Ty. The class runs 7-10pm. Click through to book a spot; $25/+HST.

Classes “officially” begin the week of January 16. First up will beWRITING FOR COMICS, LEVEL ONE. Immediately following this session, Ty will be teaching a brand new course which will be WRITING FOR COMICS, LEVEL TWO. Level One starts Monday January 16, 7-10pm. Click through to book a spot. If you’re interested in Level Two, but it’s been a while since you’ve taken Level One, talk to Sean Menard, TCW director–he’s offering an AMAZING DEAL wherein you can get a 50% discount off of the first course.

On Tuesdays, beginning January 17, 7-10pm, Ty will be teaching INKING FOR COMICS.This is a brand new course; previous versions involved four different inkers teaching their methods and ideas. This course will be taught solely by Ty, and will involve lots of in-class work so that you can get immediate feedback on your techniques. Click through to book a spot.

Starting on Wednesdays, the following week, Ty will be teaching the full version of FIGURE DRAWING FOR THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST. This class will involve a different live model each week, with ongoing instruction from Ty.

Ty had this idea that he was going to have lots of free time once he finished up his last assignment–ha! He forgot that it’s “that” month. He’d started drawing up a great Bun Toon for last Saturday but he had to finish work on the sketchbook he’s having printed up, so he posted a sequel to Son of Bun Toonsinstead (and there’s more! Taylor had a lot of comic book ideas in him at the time…these days, he’s much more about the video games).

But the good news is that Ty finished all the work he needed to do putting together pages for the sketchbook, and I finally finished all the work I needed to do prepping it for print.